A device for retaining trouser-legs in position while being machine ironed

ABSTRACT

A device for retaining trouser-legs in position while being machined ironed having trouser holders having two mutually displaceably arranged overlapping thin plates which transmit the ironing force from ironing cushions of the machine to the trouser legs, said plates being stepped in the opposite sides thereof so that the device can be used for trousers having different widths, said plates each being connected to one leg end of a spring means which has a loop and curved spring legs extending from this loop, said spring legs having their ends inserted into holes in the plates.

United States Patent 1 Gordon 1 June 19, 1973 A DEVICE FOR RETAINING TROUSER-LEGS IN POSITION WHILE BEING MACHINE IRONED [76] Inventor: Jing Gordon, Hummelvagen 2,

Johanneshov, Sweden 22 Filed: Feb. 17, 1971 21 Appl. No.1 115,973

2,529,708 11/1950 Schussel 223/63 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 540,110 4/1957 Canada 223/95 Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney-Linton & Linton [57] ABSTRACT A device for retaining trouser-legs in position while being machined ironed having trouser holders having two mutually displaceably arranged overlapping thin plates which transmit the ironing force from ironing cushions of the machine to the trouser legs, said plates being stepped in the opposite sides thereof so that the device can be used for trousers having different widths, said plates each being connected to one leg end of a spring means which has a loop and curved spring legs extending from this loop, said spring legs having their ends inserted into holes in the plates.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUM sum 3' 739, 959

SHEET 1 OF 2,

I TING GORDON 4 n'r'rok/vtrs NVRNTOR PATENIEU JIJHI 9 I975 3 73 9 959 SHEET- 2 OF 2 INV FNTOR TING GORD azsmf RT'TORNEY A DEVICE FOR RETAINING TROUSER-LEGS IN POSITION WHILE BEING MACHINE IRONED The present invention relates to a device for fixing trouser-legs, especially while machine ironing the same.

The invention relates to such ironing methods in which the trouser-legs are being held in a stretched condition in the longitudinal direction thereof during the ironing operation. This is accomplished by fixing the waist part of the trousers by means of a tool to a stationary part of the ironing machine while the free end of the trouser-leg is being connected to a spring-loaded part tending to hold the trouser-leg stretched in the longitudinal direction thereof, which is accomplished by attaching a cardboard detail provided with a hook forming part to the inner of the trouser-leg. This detail, being of considerably smaller width than the trouserleg, shows parts, which are coated with a sticky substance. These sticky parts are normally covered by protective ribbons, which have to be removed before the application. After the removal of the ribbons the cardboard details are inserted into the trouser-legs and fixedly pressed to the same.

This method has several drawbacks. First it is difficult to line up the trousers in such a way, that ironing takes place in the direction of the old creases. Besides, in the area of the cardboard details the result of the ironing is less satisfactory. Also temperature and dampness obtained by the ironing often cause the cardboard details to stick so heavily to the material of the trousers, that they can only be removed therefrom with difficulty and the lower trimming ribbon of the trouser is thereby often damaged. Finally the application is so time consuming that rapidproduction is made impossible.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate these and other drawbacks and provide a device of the above described kind and among other things enabling ironing at a high speed and with better ironing results than hitherto have been obtained. In order to accomplish these objects the invention is designed according to the following claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a device according to the invention. I

FIG. 1 shows principally the application of the trouser-leg in a first position while FIG. 2 shows a second position and FIG. 3 shows another method for application of the trouser-leg.

FIG. 4 illustrates a fixingand stretching device according to the present invention and FIG. 5 shows a side view of the end of the spring legs shown in FIG. 4.

The present device comprises two insertion halves l, 2, preferably made from steel, and showing stepped edges 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b in the parts thereof being turned from each other; said edges extending essentially perpendicular to the displacement direction of the insertion halves or plates. Shoulders 5a, 5b are formed between the edges 3a, 1%,, 4b, said shoulders suitably extending in the displacement direction of the insertion halves. The edges 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b are provided with a number of cuts 6, preferably consisting of triangular notches having such a distance to each other, that the profile of the edges consists of a number of triangles having the apex cut parallel to the base. Such an outline has proved to give the desired properties to these edges, viz. providing control and required friction. The

insertion halves are mutually displaceable and each in sertion half has a slot 7 and a rivet 8. Since the insertion halves are of identical form and are reversed by mounting the rivet 8 in one of the halves 1 into the slot 7 in the other half and vice versa. The rivets 8 also limit the maximal displacement of the insertion halves. A leaf spring construction 9, suitably consisting of a loop 10 and spring legs 11a, 11b extending thereform, has the free ends 12a, 12b thereof connected to the halves I and 2 respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5 the spring legs 12a, 12b are deflected and the legs cross each other in such a way that the leg extending from the back side of the loop is lead to the front side of the respective half and vice versa. This is of conclusive importance and enables a very flat construction of the spring device together with a considerable simplification of the production thereof. It is only necessary to somewhat tilt the legs of the spring against the spring action to insert them in the respec tive slots in the halves or plates, whereupon they maintain their positions. The spring means 9 tends to keep the halves 1, 2 apart, but obviously by bringing the spring legs 11a, 11b towards each other the halves l, 2 can be brought closer to each other, so that they can be inserted into the trouser-leg according to FIG. 1. The shoulders 5a, 5b assist in limiting the insertion of the halves when the device is used for ironing slim trousers. By the subsequent release of said spring legs the same bring the insertion halves in an outwardly direction to contact the inner side of the trouser-leg. The trouser-leg is hereby being stretched in the horizontal direction and simultaneously fixed to the device. Thereafter, the trouser'leg is brought to the desired position on the ironing machine and the waist part of the trousers is connected to a stationary means or option ally to a means, being movable against the spring action, on the ironing machine and the spring means is connected to another means, movable towards the spring action with the trouser-leg hereby being stretched in the longitudinal direction and being ready for the ironing treatment. It is of importance that the ironing takes place with uniform efficiency throughout the whole length of the trouser-leg and in order to accomplish this the plates or halves 1 are preferably made from a material having good heat conducting properties.

By using one single device, of the above described kind, it is possible to clamp trousers having all existing widths. The problem lies in that the straining force stretching the trouser-leg, must be kept within very narrow limits. A too low strain results in the device being incapable of retaining the trouser-leg in clamped connection with the device, which stretches the leg in the longitudinal direction and in case the strain is too high the ironed trouser will be deform-ed and a trouser having a so called bell bottom, of the sailor kind, is being obtained. By clamping the most narrow pair of trousers between the inner shoulders 3a, 4a and the widest pair between the outer shoulders 3b, 4b the correct strain conditions for these widths are obtained. However, in order to clamp trouser-legs having widths in between the mentioned widths, the device is operated in accordance with FIG. 3, ize. the device is tilted insuch a way that an outer edge is used in combination with an inner edge or together with an inner and an outer edge.

The strain device can also be used for other purposes such as suspension of trousers etc.

I claim:

l. A device for detachably retaining trouser-legs in a stretched position while being machine ironed comprising a pair of mutually displaceable overlapping thin plates which in use extend together inside a trouser-leg forming an ironing inlay to transmit ironing forces from the ironing machine cushions to the trouser leg, said plates being of identical configurations with each plate having a slot extending in the direction of relative displacement of said plates, an opening and being of stainless steel having good heat conducting properties, said plates being stepped in the opposite sides thereof providing opposite inner edges and opposite outer edges with shoulders each extending between said edges of one of said plates limiting the insertion of said inner edges into a slim trouser-leg, said outer edges each extending beyond the respective one of said inner edges for receiving wide trouser-legs between said outer edges, spring means having a loop and spring legs extending from said loop, being curved in such a manner that one leg extends from the back side of said loop to the front side of one of said plates and the other leg extends to the back side of the other of said plates, said legs having ends which are each deflected parallel to its leg and extend through the hole in its respective plate, rivets each connected to one of said plates and slideably extending through the slot of the other of said plates for guiding and limiting the movement of said plates. 

1. A device for detachably retaining trouser-legs in a stretched position while being machine ironed comprising a pair of mutually displaceable overlapping thin plates which in use extend together inside a trouser-leg forming an ironing inlay to transmit ironing forces from the ironing machine cushions to the trouser leg, said plates being of identical configurations with each plate having a slot extending in the direction of relative displacement of said plates, an opening and being of stainless steel having good heat conducting properties, said plates being stepped in the opposite sides thereof providing opposite inner edges and opposite outer edges with shoulders each extending between said edges of one of said plates limiting the insertion of said inner edges into a slim trouser-leg, said outer edges each extending beyond the respective one of said inner edges for receiving wide trouserlegs between said outer edges, spring means having a loop and spring legs extending from said loop, being curved in such a manner that one leg extends from the back side of said loop to the front side of one of said plates and the other leg extends to the back side of the other of said plates, said legs having ends which are each deflected parallel to its leg and extend through the hole in its respective plate, rivets each connected to one of said plates and slideably extending through the slot of the other of said plates for guiding and limiting the movement of said plates. 